Golden Sun: Five Days
by Datenma
Summary: IsaacIvan, FelixPicard  A six-part Christmas story set ten-eleven years before Dark Dawn. Complete.
1. Day 1

**A/N: **So here's the first part of the six-part Christmas Golden Sun ficlette for '10. Parts 1-5 are called "Day 1, 2..." etc and part 6 is Christmas Day. This takes 10-11 years before Dark Dawn, is AU...and if you like Jasmine, you probably don't want to be reading this. Anyway, this really came about to introduce a new character: Maël...who was born because of many discussions between imoto-san Hoshi and myself. If Garcia's son has golden eyes, we know who the "mother" is. So far, Garcia has no kid...so I can only assume that he is indeed off with Picard somewhere. Knowing Camelot the way I do now...that's probably not the case.

But this is AU! Anything can happen! Take that, Camelot. Take it. Not everyone in the world is straight, Camelot. Living in Japan, you ought to know that. Go to Ni-chōme.

**Disclaimer: **Golden Sun belongs to Camelot and Nintendo.

Please read, review and enjoy. Countdown to Christmas yay!

**Golden Sun: Five Days**

Day 1:

Mut's going to be six next month; he's already using Psynergy I could barely control when I was seventeen. Every day, Ivan says he looks just like me…but he has that woman's eyes. When I first held him, I couldn't look him in the eyes…sometimes I still can't, but he's an amazing kid. He's bright and patient, even patient enough to put up with Terry.

He chases Terry through the town, passing by with Maël right on his heels. He looks just like Garcia did when he was that age, but his golden eyes seem a stark contrast under that russet hair. I feel something disturb the ground and turn just in time to Mut trip over a rock, hitting the ground hard. Maël kneels down next to him, helping him sit up while Terry starts blaming him, running to get Gerald. I sigh, standing up and starting over.

He's there. Ivan moves like the gentlest breeze. He's more graceful than when we were teenagers, there is an exotic charm to him—from his deep violet eyes to the slight tan of his skin. He smiles gently as Mut's eyes start to water, clutching his knee and he whispers something to him. He lifts his head, meeting my eyes and I feel my heart skip a beat. Dammit, whenever I see him, it's like the first time I feel in love with him.

Maël looks up, his golden eyes burning, "Terry's being an idiot. He ran of screaming, saying Mut's gonna die." Mut's eyes water more and he bits down on his bottom lip, fighting back tears.

Ivan sighs softly, brushing the corners of his eyes carefully, "You're not going to die, Mut." He smiles, glancing at me as I kneel down, examining Mut's knee. It's raw, blood beading on the surface. I hold my hand over his knee and heal the spot. He sniffs, throwing his arms around my neck and clinging to me. Ivan laughs gently, reaching out and petting Mut's hair, "See? Your father wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."

I rub his back and he pulls away slowly, rubbing his face. I smile softly, "Are you okay now?" He nods, hiccupping a little but he smiles brightly. "Go play with Maël and Terry, try to be more careful."

He waves, running off with Maël, turning around and waving, "Thanks, Dad, Mom!" Ivan lets out a squeak, his cheeks coloring.

"Did he just call me…?" I turn away, pressing my hand to my mouth, trying to keep from laughing. He swats my arm lightly, folding his arms across his chest and trying his best to look indignant but only managing to look all the more embarrassed. I smile, leaning over and smooth his hair back, pressing my lips to his temple. He sighs, "I'm not a woman…if he keeps this up, I'm sure Karis will do it too…"

I chuckle, "I'm sure he picked it up from Karis. Where is she anyway?"

"She was in our room reading when I left the house." He sighs again, softer this time, lowering his arms and smiling at me, "It's going to be Christmas soon; we should do something special for the kids. You know Mary keeps inviting us to Imil, this would be the perfect time to go."

"With the kids…? They've never had to travel that far before and if we run into some trouble…" He smiles softly, tilting his head. I sigh, returning the smile, "If Garcia, Picard and Gerald come with us…we'll be able to do it. If it's just us, we'll have to carry Mut and Karis." I shake my head, "When did you decide this?"

He laughs softly, "It sounds more like you've decided. I just thought it would be nice since they're already this old and they haven't gotten to see snow yet. It isn't like anyone is going to need us here, even if they do, Jas—"

"Don't say that name."

His eyes soften and I instantly regret snapping at him. Before I can do anything, he touches my hand lightly and leans against me. "I'm sorry…I should have been there." He shakes his head slowly, reaching up and touching my cheek. I sigh, closing my eyes and leaning into his hand. "It's been a while since we've traveled. Getting out there again will help you relax."

I smile, clasping his hand and kissing his palm, "You know me so well." He laughs; the sound warms me better than a fire as he slips his arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly.

"I'm sure you pride yourself on being a closed book, but you're not that difficult to read." He rests his chin on my shoulder. He's grown taller since we first met but the top of his head only reaches my shoulder. "So you'll take me away?"

I chuckle, "It won't be that romantic, dragging the kids with us, not to mention Gerald and the others. But yes, I'll take you away."

"Dad, you gotta hide us!" I grunt as someone knocks into the back of me, glancing back to see Mut clinging to my leg. Terry and Maël are right on his heels, coming around and hiding behind Ivan. One of the merchants comes storming up the path, waving an angry fist.

I groan, dropping my head into my hand, "What have you done this time…?" Ivan starts to laugh softly, nudging me gently. I sigh, walking down the path to meet the merchant, catching Maël whisper something proudly to Ivan.

"Dad said we should call ourselves the Musketeers, like those guys in that book you read to us."

Ivan laughs some more, "I think that would suit you three perfectly."

**-TBC-**

Pity Alex is evil, he can't be in our Christmas story.


	2. Day 2

**A/N: **Second day. Look to chapter 1 for the necessary disclaimers.

Read, review and enjoy.

Day 2: 

I stretch, dropping the packs on the floor and loosening my scarf. We're halfway to Imil now, Terry's the only one that has been complaining about the pace but I can see the other kids are having trouble as well. I can't blame them. I smile softly as Ivan sets Karis on the bed, tucking her in. For the last house, he has to carry her and Mut's been dragging his feet. He climbs onto the bed, falling in next to Karis and passing out as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Ivan laughs softly, covering Mut as well, shaking his head and watching them. "They get along so well, I'm glad."

"Of course, they think they're brother and sister." He blushes, meeting my eye and blushing more. I smile, leaning across the bed, grabbing the front of his tunic and pulling him forward, stealing a kiss.

A knock comes at the open door and a man clears his throat. I glance back, frowning slightly. Garcia stands there, leaning against the doorway, Picard at his side, smiling apologetically. "We just put Maël to bed; Gerald's still trying to wrangle in his brat." He nods to Mut and Karis, "Is there enough room for you two?"

Ivan smiles, pushing Karis' bangs from her face and she smiles softly in her sleep, snuggling into the pillow. "They don't take up much room, it'll be fine. Unless Mut has a nightmare and kicks Robin out of bed again." He laughs.

I groan, "That was because Terry insisted you read them that scary story." I glance back at Garcia, "Will you be going to bed then?"

Picard smiles and shakes his head, glancing up at Garcia. "We're going to relax in the lobby for a little bit, would you care to join us?"

I turn to Ivan and he smiles, nodding. "Sure." I pull the covers back as they leave, removing Mut's boots and setting them next to the bed. Ivan lights a candle next to the bed and hurries with me to the door.

Terry runs past as soon as I close the door and Gerald comes barreling around the corner a moment later, waving Terry's breeches in the air. "You were complaining the whole way up here! Get to bed!" The smaller redhead sticks out his tongue, laughing.

Ivan laughs softly, "Aren't you glad Mut is so well-behaved?" I roll my eyes, placing my hand on the small of his back and grinning.

"Pity I'm not as well-behaved." His cheeks turn red.

"Robin!" I laugh, ducking as he tries to get away, grabbing him around the middle and hoist him over my shoulder, carrying him down the stairs. "I'm too old for this…" I set him on the couch carefully, sitting next to him and smiling. He tries his best to give me a stern look but it wears off after a moment and he sighs, leaning against me.

"You told Mary we were coming right?" Garcia lounges on the other couch, his arm around Picard's shoulders. Those two disappeared after Vale was destroyed, returning four years ago with Maël. They never explained just how…he was born, but he must be their son. There's so much of Garcia in him and he has Picard's eyes.

"I sent her a letter before we left. She should have gotten it by now."

"She has two kids, the boy is the same age as Mut and Terry, the girl is a little older." Ivan shifts, stretching his arms towards the ceiling before resting them across the back of the couch. "I hope Terry doesn't scare them off." He laughs softly as Gerald groans, dropping into one of the armchairs.

"I don't know where all that energy came from suddenly but he's asleep now. Maybe he won't complain tomorrow." He shakes his head, "So, how much further do we have to go to Imil?"

I sigh, "The land has changed so much since we were last there…but it shouldn't be too much longer, we're making good time even with the kids. Maybe another week at the most, we should get some winter clothes while we're here too."

"Do you think the merchants have closed shop?"

I glance out the window. Torches burst into life outside as the sun goes down, the light quickly fading. "It's late…I'm sure they've packed up for the day. We'll just have to get an early start tomorrow."

Gerald stands, popping his back and winching, "I'm not used to traveling anymore. I think I'll turn in now. Good night." He waves, heading up the stairs.

Garcia smirks darkly, "It looks like parenthood has turned him soft." He pauses, glancing at me and smiling, "You look better."

"What do you mean?"

He shakes his head, "While we were in Kalay, you seemed on edge. Out here, you look more relaxed…happier."

I run a hand back through my hair, sighing. "I guess I forgot how much I loved traveling. It's been a long time since we've traveled together."

"We should make this a yearly thing." I blink, looking at him. "I'm serious, every year around this time let's spend Christmas with Mary."

I look at Ivan and he smiles, "I think it's a good idea, getting to see Mary more often."

I laugh softly, rubbing the back of my neck, "Alright then, I guess we'll make it a tradition."

**-TBC-**


	3. Day 3

**A/N: **Ah, it's the third part and the gang is in Imil, yay Imil.

**To Elifer: **Haha I can understand getting sucked into a game. I just downloaded this parkour game...which is weird for me but I've been wanting to do parkour (but I bruise like a banana so I think I'll have to pass on that whim). I'm just waiting for Prius Online to come out...so I can download it, play for a day and get tired of it haha. Robin explains a little of what happened with Jasmine but he doesn't like talking about it. As for Mut/Matthew: his Japanese name is indeed Mut. I followed the official Japanese site while waiting for them to release more character pictures in anticipation of the game's release. I giggle a little at his name and wondered why they would name him that. But yeah, I checked and double checked to make sure I got his name right. I do like Mut, regardless of his mother, that's not his fault. Mmm...as for an X-rated fic...I've been thinking about it but I might get carried away. I don't know about posting things on adult fanfiction either...oh well, if the opportunity comes up, I might go ahead with it.

Anyway, read, review and enjoy~ another day closer to Christmas, yay!

Day 3:

Imil. It's grown since we were last here. Karis shivers on my back, hiding her face in my scarf. I glance back, Terry trying to form a ball of fire in his hands to keep warm, Maël sticking close to Garcia's side and Mut clutching at Ivan's hand, shaking.

I take a step, snow crunching underfoot and someone calls out to us, "Ivan! Robin!" Mary comes running from a house, giving me a quick hug, careful not to crush Karis. She turns, hugging Ivan then Gerald before kneeling down, and smiling at my son. "You must be Mut." His eyes widen and he blushes, hiding half his face against Ivan, nodding. She laughs gently, "You're just as shy too."

I raise an eyebrow, "When was I ever shy?"

She laughs more, "Let's get out of the cold." She leads the way back to the house she left, holding the door open for us. I set Karis down gently and she glances around with large violet eyes. Mary smiles at her, "Your name is Karis, right?"

"Y-yes, ma'am…"

"You have your father's eyes." She smiles, glancing at Ivan.

"My mother." Mary blinks, looking at Karis and tilting her head. "Robin's my father." Gerald snorts and I glance away as my face grows hot. So it was Karis.

Mary laughs softly, glancing between us and smiling, "I see, it was my mistake. You do have your mother's eyes." She smiles more, putting her hands on her hips and looking at Maël and Terry. "You look the spitting image of Gerald, I bet your Terry." He smiles proudly, nodding. She pauses, studying Maël's face, "You have Picard's eyes…"

Garcia smiles, placing his hand on his son's head. "This is Maël; he's mine and Picard's." Mary blushes, glancing at Ivan. He smiles softly, waving his hand.

She smiles sweetly, "I'm so glad to finally meet your kids. Please, take off your coats and shoes and make yourselves at home. I'll show you where you'll be sleeping and then I'll get Crown and Noble."

She leads us to the second floor, showing Gerald and Terry their room first, then Garcia, Picard and Maël and finally ours. I set the packs on the bed, slipping off my gloves and setting them on the bedside table. Karis takes Mut's hand, and smiles, "Let's go see Miss Mary's kids."

He smiles brightly, "Okay." Karis waves to us, pulling him into the hall, Maël stepping out of his room and follows them out of sight.

Ivan sighs gratefully, turning around and falling back onto the bed, "It's so comfortable." He rolls over onto his stomach, lifting himself onto his elbows and smiling, "Glad we came?"

I smile, sitting back on the bed and leaning over him. I touch his cheek, brushing his bangs back and kissing him gently. He grasps the front of my shirt, pulling me down and sliding his arms around my shoulders. I start to slip, placing my hands on either side of him.

I pull back reluctantly, "Jeez, you're so…"

He blushes, touching my lips, "Don't say anything embarrassing."

I grin, "Like I want you to be the mother of my children?"

He groans, "Yeah, like that." He smiles, hugging me, "I love you…"

I stroke his hair and breathe him in deeply, "I love you too…"

"Ivan, I found this new book that you would…" I glance back as Mary steps into the doorway, pausing and blushing, smiling softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Ivan smiles, pulling away and fixing my shirt, "It's okay. We probably should have closed the door." He slides off the bed, straightening his clothes. "Have the kids met?"

She laughs softly, "Noble and Karis seem to be getting along. Crown's still a little shy but I think he's warming up to the boys. I'm so glad you decided to come. Was it hard getting here?"

"It's a bit farther than it was before and the terrain has changed…but we didn't run into much trouble along the way. This is the first time the kids have seen snow, they were excited when we came through the mountains." He laughs softly, "It wore off after a couple of minutes."

"I'll get them some hot cocoa." She smiles, starting to leave.

"Is there anything we can help with, Mary? I feel like we're freeloading or something." I stand next to Ivan as Mary hands him the book, laughing softly. She's barely aged, just like the rest of us. Instead of her usual ponytail, she has her hair tied back in a loose braid, the strands glistening with melted snow. She was the oldest in our group when we traveled, she was always like a mother hen worrying over her chicks but I suppose Gerald needed that.

"I'm the one that invited you. It wouldn't be right to make you work on your vacation."

Ivan chuckles softly, smiling at me with a playful glint in his eyes, "Robin on vacation? I'm sorry; you must not have been properly introduced."

"Oh ha, ha, you're so witty." I run my finger down his spine and he jumps, "We could send Gerald out to get firewood."

She laughs, "We have plenty but if you're so set on helping, why don't you take Garcia and pick out a tree. I've been so busy I haven't had time to get one. I trust your judgment; just don't get one that won't fit in the house…"

I smile, "We'll do our best, Milady." I lean down, kissing Ivan quickly and slipping past Mary. She pushes me gently, laughing.

"He's even more of a handful now."

Ivan laughs softly and smiles as I glance back at him. "I know, but he's my handful."

**-TBC-**


	4. Day 4

**A/N: **Yay, part four. It's almost Christmas...but it doesn't feel like it yet.

**To Elifer: **It's been a while since I've been on adult fanfiction. I think I made an account but I'm not 100% sure. I might end up making another one. Haha...man I hate posting stories on DA, it's such a pain that I stopped doing it. If I do end up writing one, I'll post it to DA heehee. Thanks so much for your reviews and favs, they mean so much to me. I'm really glad you enjoy it so far.

Ah man, is it Friday yet? I wanna open presents. I think I'll drink some sake on Christmas eve. So I got sick of being a jerk with my spaces and breaks in the story. So I stuck breaks in (hopefully I got them all).

Anyway; read, review and enjoy.

Day 4:

I cup my hands in front of my mouth, breathing out. I catch Mut watching me and he mimics the motion, a cloud of warm breath rising from between his fingers. I chuckle, kneeling down and ruffling his hair, "Are you cold?" He nods slowly, his teeth chattering. "Do you want to wait back at the house?"

"No!" He shivers but meets my gaze with determined eyes. I sigh, loosening my scarf and remove it, wrapping it around his neck. He blinks, touching the scarf and smiling quickly. I scoop him up, brushing the snow from his boots. I carry him into a shop and he glances around, eyes going wide.

I chuckle softly, "According to Mary, a glassblower moved here shortly after the Golden Sun…and he's had a profitable business ever since. Those who can, come from all over the continent to purchase his art." An elderly man appears from the back room, smiling.

"So you're one of Mary's friends…she said you would be coming. You must be Robin, and this is…"

I set Mut down gently, resting my hand on his head, "This is my son, Mut." The man leans down, squinting and putting his face close to Mut's. He jumps a little, bumping into my leg. I hear him gulp nervously but the man smiles, leaning back and nodding.

"You have a kind heart. I can see it in your eyes, you have much of your father in you." He nods, turning away slowly, disappearing into the back. Mut relaxes, letting out the breath he'd been holding and glancing up at me. I wink and he smiles brightly, reaching up and holding my hand. The old man returns with a small wooden case, "These are the ornaments Mary ordered." He turns to Mut as I take the case, "Since this is your first Christmas here, why don't you pick out an ornament for yourself."

Mut blinks, looking up at me. I chuckle, "He didn't ask me."

"Can I really?"

The man chuckles, nodding, "Of course, of course, your parents did a great thing for this world and I can see that you have that same look in your eyes." Mut's face colors and he smiles, his hand slipping from mine as he walks around the store. The man smiles, shaking his head and speaking softly, "He's a bit more timid than you were. I wonder if he'll grow out of it."

I laugh softly, "With his friends, I'm sure it's only a matter of time."

Mut hurries back over, holding a pale cream colored orb in his hands, smiling brightly, "This one."

The man smiles, nodding and wrapping the ornament carefully, setting it in a small wooden box, handing it to Mut, "Merry Christmas."

"T-thank you. Merry Christmas."

I take Mut's hand, nodding to the man, "Thank you."

"You're gonna break it, Terry!" Maël stands on a chair in front of the tree, Terry snatching an ornament from the box. Mut stands next to his cousin, blinking and holding his ornament close to his chest.

Karis puts her hands on her hips, tapping a foot on the floor, "Mary said we should take turns." Ivan laughs softly, handing me a mug of hot cocoa as he sits on the couch.

Mary smiles, "She's really spirited."

I chuckle, "She has to be to boss the boys around."

She turns around, puffing her cheeks, "Daddy…I'm not bossy…" She glances at Mut, "Right?" He blushes, looking from Maël to Terry and back again. Terry waves his hands quickly and Maël looks away, shrugging his shoulders. "Mut?"

"O-of course not." Karis smiles brightly, holding her hand up and Maël helps her onto the chair, hanging an ornament on a bare spot. Noble comes in, carrying a tray of hot cocoa for the kids, setting it down on the coffee table. Terry cheers, rushing over and blushing as she passing him a mug. Crown comes out of the kitchen, blushing and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, holding a bag of marshmallows. Mut smiles, helping him with the marshmallows.

Garcia tilts his head, watching Crown for a long moment before glancing at Mary, "He looks a bit like Alex."

She sighs, staring into her own mug, "Yes…he does look a lot like Alex did at that age. It surprises me every day…he's just as ambitious as him…sometimes it scares me, but…" She smiles, "That's the only way he's similar to Alex. He's a sweet boy. Please don't judge him based on what my cousin did."

Picard shakes his head, "We won't. No one will. We're the only ones who've seen Alex…know what part he played. It wouldn't be fair to Crown."

Gerald comes in, shaking snow from his coat, "What's with all the long faces? We're here to get away from our troubles, right?"

"We've you been?" Ivan peers over my shoulder, wearily eyeing the dark bottle in Gerald's hand.

He grins, "Getting rum to make some eggnog, after the kids go to bed, of course."

Mary laughs, inspecting the bottle, "You're going to have a hangover tomorrow, Gerald." She smiles, putting the bottle away in the kitchen.

"Where did you get the idea for eggnog?"

Gerald grins, dropping into the armchair, ruffling Terry's hair as he sits on the floor near his father. "Well, we finally get a white Christmas for once so I thought we could be festive. Besides, it's not often we drink. It's not like we're underage or anything."

Ivan shifts, brushing his hair back, "We just haven't really found the time to drink…" He smiles, "I doubt we're missing anything, though, if we've gone this long without it." He laughs softly as Mut sits next to him, a light brown stain across his upper lip from the cocoa. He steals my handkerchief, gently wiping Mut's upper lip.

Mut smiles brightly, "Thanks, Mom…"

Ivan, Picard and Gerald head upstairs to tuck the kids in when they finally get tired and Mary smiles at me gently, "Could you help me with the eggnog?" I glance at Garcia and he waves his hand, stretching out on the couch. I stand, following Mary into the kitchen and she hands me the rum. "Mut really does look like you…but his eyes…"

I sigh, turning away and twisting the cap hard, "Yeah, he's got Jasmine's eyes."

"You don't seem too pleased with that…"

I frown, glancing at her and shaking my head slowly, resting my head in my hand, "Ivan was away…and Jasmine decided to keep me company. She gave me a drink…there was something in it. I blacked out after that. When I woke up, Ivan was there and he was…" I grit my teeth, setting the bottle on the counter as my hands start to shake, "He said I'd been out of it for days."

Mary presses her hand to her mouth, "So she…" She shakes her head, throwing her arms around me, "Oh, Robin…if I see her, I'm going to—"

I sigh, hugging her, "I got Mut because of what she did…sometimes I can't look him in the eye but…I do love him. I don't regret that he was born…"

She pulls back, wiping the corners of her eyes on her apron, trying to compose herself. "Still, the next time I see her, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. What did Garcia say when he found out?"

I shake my head, "He hasn't spoken to her since he came back. I'm sure he will eventually…" I rub the back of my neck, laughing, "I left Kalay to get away from that…"

"I'm sorry, Robin…I shouldn't have made you talk about such a horrible thing…" She pushes the eggs towards me, "Here, crack these for me."

I chuckle, "Yes, ma'am."

Mary laughs as Gerald slides out of his chair, spilling some of the drink down the front of his shirt, "And then, and then…um, what happened?"

Garcia lifts an eyebrow, "You were chased out of town by a goat."

I wave my hand, "You seem to be holding your alcohol well, Garcia…" Ivan leans against me, yawning a little.

He smirks, "Of course. I'm a seasoned drinker thanks to Picard."

The Lemurian blinks, glancing up at him, "Why are you blaming me?"

"Oh you know why." Garcia flutters his eyelashes.

"You're drunk." He chuckles, resting his arm across Picard's shoulder and whispering in his ear. Picard blinks, blushing a little and shaking his head slowly.

Gerald lets out a loud belch and Ivan jumps, looking around quickly, a spark of Psynergy leaping from his fingertips. I grasp his hand quickly, smiling gently. Mary frowns, "Gerald! That's so rude…" She presses her hands to her mouth, starting to laugh. It's infectious and we're all laughing soon. Mary slides off the couch, laughing until tears well up in her eyes.

I take a deep breath, leaning back and Ivan leans against me again, resting his head on my chest. "I think we should stop drinking while we still can."

Gerald nods, trying to stand and sliding back onto the floor. Mary laughs softly, looping her arm through his, "Let's try again; one, two, and three…" They manage to stand, "Good night, everyone."

**-TBC-**

Alex: So about playing Dark Dawn...

I'm almost finished. It went way too quickly. So I'm dragging it out. It feels really short...oh well. You know, we waited about six years for the game...the graphics look great, the psynergy rocks my socks...I love that Ivan's an inventor but...short story is short.


	5. Day 5

**A/N: **Woo, it's Christmas eve. I think. You know, I don't know why people drink alcohol. It doesn't do anything but make me sleepy and clumsier than I already am. ...I did text my fiancee that I only had one cheek...and not realized it.

I don't know if I should do a one-shot for the whole my version of Mut's conception. But I'm feeling devilish so I might. The reply back to reviews option is pretty nice...

Anyway, read, review and enjoy.

Day 5: 

I open my eyes slowly and the first thing I see is soft blonde hair spread out across the pillow. Ivan's sleeping close to me with his back turned to me, sleeping peacefully. I run my hand along his side slowly and he lets out a soft sound, shifting. I turn over, rubbing my temple. My head's throbbing a little but it's nothing to cry over.

Something moves quickly out of the corner of my eye and someone lands hard on my stomach. I grunt, looking up to find Karis sitting there. She smiles brightly, throwing her arms up, "Good morning!"

I stretch, running my hands through my hair, "What time is it…?"

"Time…to get up!" She giggles, rolling over onto Ivan. He wakes slowly, rubbing his eyes and laughing softly.

"Karis…it's way too early…" He sits up and Karis smiles brightly, turning around so Ivan can braid her hair. Once he's done, she rolls again until she's settled in between us.

"Maël said Uncle Gerald is drunk…"

I chuckle, "He's mistaken…Gerald has a hangover, he's not drunk anymore." Ivan shoots me a look but smiles, shaking his head.

Mut comes running in, jumping onto my bed and I manage to catch him before he can land on my stomach. "Crown said the snow's good for making snowmen…what are they?"

Ivan smiles playfully, "They're frozen men created by children to protect their families and friends. They're warriors." Mut's eyes widened. "Anyone can make them but you have to make sure to dress really warm or the snowmen won't come to life."

"Let's go play outside, Mut." Karis smiles, grabbing his hand and running out the door with him. Mut stumbles after her, turning around and waving to us.

I sigh, flopping back onto the bed and rubbing my temples again, "They're certainly lively this morning."

He smiles, shifting and leaning over me. His bangs hang down, tickling across my cheek. He's been growing out his hair lately; it's almost long enough to tie back with a cord. I smile softly, reaching up and running my hand through his hair. "Are you sure we're not just getting old?"

I laugh, "We've got a long life ahead of us, I assure you I'll monopolize all your time."

"Is that a promise?"

"Of course." He leans down, kissing me. I slip my arms around him, holding him tightly until he lets out a soft gasp, patting my shoulder.

"Too tight…" I release him slowly and he smiles, sitting up, "Let's eat, maybe that will help our headache. I'm sure Garcia is giving Gerald a hard time by now, we might as well save him while we're at it." He straddles my hips as he moves over me and I smirk, shifting a little. He gasps again, blushing and looking down at me, "R-Robin…"

I chuckle, holding my hands up, "I'll behave, I promise."

"Attack!" I duck as something white shoots from around the corner and Gerald takes a snowball to the face. Maël falls back into the snow, laughing as Terry and Mut start running away. Gerald wipes the snow from his face, letting out a roar and chasing after the kids.

Ivan laughs softly, "I thought they were going to make a snowman."

Maël runs over, taking Ivan's hand, "We need help picking up the parts." Ivan chuckles, letting the boy leads him to the spot they built the snowman. Three large snowballs wait in the clearing, Karis, Noble and Crown standing around them.

"Why did you make them so big?"

Karis smiles brightly, "Because we want the snowman to protect the whole town." I kneel down, grabbing one and hefting it onto the largest one. Ivan smiles, picking up the last and stacking it on top.

"Now we need to give him a face and some arms." Crown and Noble run off, coming back with a handful of found objects—a tattered hat, some bent twigs for arms, a winter carrot from someone's garden and some coal. I chuckle, lifting Crown up so he can reach the head.

Something cold hits me in the back as I set Crown down and I turn to find Ivan bending down, pushing snow together to make another snowball. I duck behind the snowman, kneeling down and making a sloppy snowball, leaning around and tossing it at Ivan. He gasps, falling back and laughing, throwing the snowball he made. Gerald comes running across, chasing after his son and takes the snowball in the side of the head. "Ivan!"

Ivan laughs, pressing his hands to his mouth, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He laughs more, getting up quickly and running as Gerald starts chasing him.

I toss a snowball at him, grinning, "Leave my wife alone."

"You too? Everyone's against me!" He makes a snowball, throwing it over Ivan's head. It stops short, hitting Garcia in the chest. "Oh crap."

Garcia grins, "This means war."

**-TBC- **


	6. Christmas Day

**A/N: **So...since we're opening presents on Christmas eve, and I may be passed out from alcohol (since I can't take two sips of a drink without getting sleepy), I thought I might as well post the Christmas Day story...a day early.

Crown is so cute...but try as I might, I just can't seem to pair him up with Mut. I guess I really can't stick every guy together. I don't feel it the love! CROWN! ACT CUTER! I've really been trying to put them together...but I'm not feeling it.

**To Elifer: **A special thank you for follow the story and reviewing. It's what keeps me going.

Read, review and enjoy.

Christmas Day:

"It's Christmas tomorrow!" Terry cheers, throwing his arms in the air and running around the tree excitedly. Garcia eyes Maël, knowing he's tempted to trip Terry as he passes around a fourth time. Picard quickly grabs his son around the middle and pulls him onto his lap, pulling his hair back into a loose ponytail. "Can we open presents tonight?"

Gerald rubs at his mustache, "We always open them on Christmas morning."

"Aw, c'mon, Dad, just one? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?" Terry looks up at him with big eyes and Gerald sighs, glancing at me.

"What do you think?"

I chuckle, "One present doesn't sound so bad." I slip my hand into my pocket, feeling for the small velvet box. Ivan glances at me, tilting his head and I meet his eye so he doesn't think I'm up to anything. "The kids can open one present each, but you have to the leave the rest for tomorrow."

Terry and Karis cheer, running to the tree and sitting in front of the presents, picking through them and looking for their names. Mut hangs back until Maël takes his hand, smiling and pulling him over to the tree. Noble giggles, sitting next to Karis and suggesting which present she should open.

Ivan looks over at Crown, smiling gently and touching his shoulder. He jumps a little, turning around and his look of surprise melts away, replaced by a relieved smile. "Aren't you going to pick out a present too?"

Crown glances over at the others, the tips of his ears turning red. "I-I'll wait until they're finished."

Ivan smiles sweetly and I can't help but smile as well, watching him. "Nonsense, you have every right to open your presents with the others." He pushes Crown towards the tree gently and he nods, sitting in between Mut and Karis. Ivan leans back, "I feel a little silly for saying this, but its fun just watching them."

Picard returns with Mary, carrying a tray of hot cocoa. He smiles, helping pass them out, "It's not silly at all. They get so excited it's infectious." He pushes a mug into Garcia's hands, sitting next to him and leaning against him.

Mut comes over, holding up a box, "Can I open this one?"

I smile, glancing at Ivan, "Are you sure you want to open that one?" He looks down at the box, smiling and nodding quickly. "Why?"

"Because it's your handwriting."

I laugh softly, "Alright, go ahead and open that one." He smiles brightly, sitting on the floor and carefully peeling away the colorful wrapping, revealing a brown box. He lifts the lid and his eyes widen, glancing up at me. There's a pale yellow scarf inside like mine.

"Dad…"

I wink, "You seem to like mine a lot, so I thought you should have one too." I reach down, ruffling his hair. He smiles, slipping it around his neck and thanking me.

Mary's the last to go up to bed, smiling sweetly, "Don't stay up too late, the kids will want to open presents as early as possible." She waves, heading up the stairs.

Ivan stretches, sighing softly, "We should probably go to bed too." He starts to stand but I hold my arm out, shifting and sliding onto the floor. "Robin?" I kneel on the floor, grasping his hand and taking out the box. I flick open the box, slipping the band onto his finger and smiling.

"Will you spend the rest of your life with me?" I chuckle, brushing my thumb over his knuckles, "Even if that means hundreds of years?"

He laughs, his eyes twinkling, "I'd prefer it that way…" He slips his arms around me and I feel him slide something into my pocket. Blinking, I reach in, pulling out a small box. He laughs softly, "I guess we think alike." His hair brushes against my cheek as he pulls back, "Will you marry me again?"

I chuckle, cupping his cheeks and kissing him, "Of course." I press my forehead to his, "Again and again, until you get sick of me."

"That would never happen."

"Then I guess I'll never stop."

He laughs again, pushing my hair from my face, "Merry Christmas, Robin…"

**Owari**

...This one was kind of short. Oh well. Merry Christmas!

Alex: ...I wasn't in this.

Aw, one day I'll give you a Christmas story. Have a happy Christmas, everyone.


End file.
